 /*
  * $Header: /cvshome/build/org.osgi.service.component/src/org/osgi/service/component/ComponentInstance.java,v 1.13 2006/06/16 16:31:26 hargrave Exp $
  *
  * Copyright (c) OSGi Alliance (2004, 2006). All Rights Reserved.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
  * You may obtain a copy of the License at
  *
  * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
  *
  * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
  * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
  * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  * limitations under the License.
  */

 package org.osgi.service.component;

 /**
  * A ComponentInstance encapsulates a component instance of an activated
  * component configuration. ComponentInstances are created whenever a component
  * configuration is activated.
  *
  * <p>
  * ComponentInstances are never reused. A new ComponentInstance object will be
  * created when the component configuration is activated again.
  *
  * @version $Revision: 1.13 $
  */
 public interface ComponentInstance {
     /**
      * Dispose of the component configuration for this component instance. The
      * component configuration will be deactivated. If the component
      * configuration has already been deactivated, this method does nothing.
      */
     public void dispose();

     /**
      * Returns the component instance of the activated component configuration.
      *
      * @return The component instance or <code>null</code> if the component
      * configuration has been deactivated.
      */
     public Object getInstance();
 }

